Mumbai : The Indian Medical Association (IMA), which has been protesting against the state resolution allowing homoeopathic doctors to practise allopathy, have pointed out that even the Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH) is not in favour of its practitioners prescribing allopathic medicines.

While the matter is in court and will come up for hearing on December 15, the IMA petition has received support from the Maharashtra Medical Council and the Medical Council of India.

Dr Jayesh Lele, President-elect of the state unit of IMA, said the CCH had also issued a notice to its registered practitioners asking them to practice homoeopathy and use drugs prepared as per homoeopathic principles.

This June, the state Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council had given its approval to the Bill which allowed homoeopaths to practice allopathy after a year’s bridge course in pharmacology. While the homoeopaths had welcomed the development, the move, however, had drawn sharp objections from the medical fraternity and the IMA moved high court.

Lele pointed out that the CCH had also issued a notice stating that Homoeopathic Practitioners (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Code of Ethics) Regulations, 1982, have been amended as notified in the official gazette dated July 12, 2014, which is required to be strictly adhered to by all registered practitioners under HCC Act of 1973. The notice was issued by Dr Lalit Verma, Secretary, CCH, a statutory body under the Department of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH).

However, Dr Mahesh Wayal, President, Maharashtra Homoepathic General Practitioners Association, pointed out that each state had the right to recommend its own health policies and the Maharashtra Council of Homoeopathy’s resolution too had permitted homoeopaths to practise allopathy.

Meanwhile, the IMA has also questioned the state Cabinet’s decision to allow unani and ayurveda practitioners to legally prescribe allopathic medicine and perform minor surgeries. While the IMA has called for a stay, Dr Suhas Parchure, former president, National Integrated Medical Association, said that following two government notifications in 1992 and 1999 both ayurveda and unani practitioners were already prescribing allopathic medicines. There are as many as 70,000 graduate and post-graduate ayurveds and unani practitioners in the state.

“Both bachelors courses of ayurvedic medicine and surgery and bachelor of unani medicine and surgery courses have subjects that cover modern practice of medicine and surgery. The matter is now in court and we are fighting for our rights,” added Parchure. [Source]